Find Out What's Happening

[MikeFromHolland]

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Jerry Crutchfield



Jerry Crutchfield (born August 10, 1934) is an American country and pop record producer, songwriter, and musician. He is a former publishing and record label executive. He recorded for RCA Victor Records with vocal group The Country Gentlemen, later known as The Escorts. He has received multiple Country Music Association's (CMA) "Song of the Year" award nominations for his work as producer, winning the award twice as well as having been a co-producer of a CMA Album of the Year. He has also been nominated for the Dove Award for three Gospel/Christian albums, having won the award for Traditional Gospel Record of the Year by The Hemphills. Crutchfield has served as a member of the National Board of Trustees for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), along with the Board of Directors of the Nashville chapter of NARAS, the Country Music Association, and the Gospel Music Association.

Notable albums produced by Crutchfield that obtained gold, platinum, and multi-platinum status include those by Lee Greenwood, Tanya Tucker, Chris LeDoux, Tracy Byrd, and Lisa Brokop. He also produced artists such as Anne Murray, Dottie West, Tammy Wynette, Glen Campbell, Brenda Lee, Buck Owens, Jake Hess, Larry Gatlin, The Gatlin Brothers and Mylon LeFevre. He is known for producing the No. 1 pop hit, "Please Come to Boston" recorded by Dave Loggins.

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Nominated multiple times as producer of the Country Music Association's (CMA) "Song of the Year" award, Crutchfield has won that honor twice as well as having been a co-producer of a CMA Album of the Year. He has also been nominated for the Dove Award for three Gospel/Christian albums, having won the award for Traditional Gospel Record of the Year by The Hemphills.

As an award-winning songwriter, Crutchfield has had over 150 songs recorded by such major artists as Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Eddy Arnold, Tanya Tucker, Lee Greenwood, Lou Rawls, Ricky Nelson, Tammy Wynette, Ernest Tubb, Faron Young, Charley Pride, and Lefty Frizzell. His hit song "My Whole World Is Falling Down" was a top ten pop hit by Brenda Lee, and a significant European hit for French singer Sylvie Vartan.

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Crutchfield is credited with establishing MCA Music Publishing as a major publishing house, and signing and working with writers such as Dave Loggins, Don Schlitz, Gary Burr, Rob Crosby and Mark Nesler. During his 25-year career at MCA, Crutchfield left to serve as Executive Vice President/General Manager of Capitol Records for four years. He then returned to MCA Music Publishing for a three-year period as president of its Nashville division.[2]

Crutchfield has served as National Trustee for The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), and has served on the board of directors of the Nashville chapter of NARAS, the Country Music Association, and the Gospel Music Association.

Jerry Crutchfield was the writer/composer of "Find Out What's Happening" which Elvis recorded at Stax in July 1973.


The first, original, release of the song was by The Spidells featuring Billy Lockridge in 1964.


James Earl Smith, Nathaniel Shelton, Lee Roy Cunningham, Billy Lockridge, and Michael Young

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The British band Downliners Sect brought it out on single in 1965. On the flip-side: "Little Egypt".
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For The Gamblers, Newcastle - 1965 - 3rd single - B - Side:
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In 1966 Lou Rawls brought out his version of the song on his album Carryin' On!

http://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/2b972/Lou-Rawls-Carryin'-On!


In 2015 the 1967 version as sung by Bobby Bare (uncredited) was heard in the TV-Series "Better Call Saul", episode: "Nacho".
It's on the Original Soundtrack album as well:

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Elvis Presley, 1973 - Find Out What's Happening (spliced version)
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"Find Out What's Happening"

Baby, you know me well
You know I mean what I say
Before I say farewell
I'll give you just another day

You'd better find out what's happening
Find out what's happening before long
If you don't find out what's happening
You're gonna find out that I'm gone

Tell me what you're gonna do?
You'd better make up your mind
It all depends on you
I'm leaving you behind

You'd better find out what's happening
Find out what's happening before long, no, no
If you don't find out what's happening
You're gonna find out that I'm gone, gone, yeah

Baby, you know it's true
We've been through thick and thin
But if you don't come through
You won't ever see me again

You'd better find out what's happening
Find out what's happening before long, oh Lord
If you don't find out what's happening
You're gonna find out that I'm gone

You'd better find
(Find out what's happening, find out what's happening)
You better find out
(Find out what's happening, find out what's happening)

You better find out
(Find out what's happening, find out what's happening)
Oh Lord
(Find out what's happening, find out what's happening)

If you don't, what's happening
You're gonna find out that I'm gone
(Find out what's happening, find out what's happening)

You'd better find
(Find out what's happening, find out what's happening)
You better find out
(Find out what's happening)

From the Pearl River album Find Out What's Happening, 1993:
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On her 1995 album Fire to Fire, Tanya Tucker:
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With a different mix, new instruments perhaps, I think Elvis' quite mediocre version can become much better. I like the rhythm. His (bettered) version should have been in series like Better Call Saul.



SOURCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Crutchfield
http://davidneale.eu/elvis/originals/list2.html#S1172
https://secondhandsongs.com/work/92323/versions#nav-entity
YouTube

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[LSP-4445]

A song that I dont care much for but I do like the alternate take and mix first used on Essential-5 release in 1998.

[MikeFromHolland]

A song that I dont care much for but I do like the alternate take and mix first used on Essential-5 release in 1998.

See if I can find that somewhere to give that version a spin. Thanks!


Guess I found it on YouTube as well:

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It's indeed a better version
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[colonel snow]

Another version was recorded on 10 april 1970 by Barbara Fairchild (Columbia 45173)


colonel snow

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[midnightx]

Elvis delivers one of this weakest vocals of the decade.

[fn2drive]

i walk away from this thread with a new appreciation for Elvis' version. His is the best of the lot-far better than any of the above. On the other hand it reveals the song itself is awful and he should never have recorded it. Wasnt this a lift along with several tracks from another artists recent album? If not any idea on how it was sourced.

[poormadpeter2]

I have always been amazed at how often the song was covered. Nancy Sinatra did it during her guest spot on The Bobby darin Show, too. For me, it's just dull and doesn't go anywhere - with anyone singing it.

[minkahed]

I'm not actually sure where people want their songs to take them, but I actually like it and I think James solo break in the middle is pretty cool.

[Mike in New Jersey]

Elvis' vocals could use a bit more pep, but I also like the alternate take from Essential Elvis vol. 5

[minkahed]

I think Elvis’s version of Find Out What's Happening has some good musicianship in its favour, but Elvis doesn't sing with the kind of brightness and freedom that could elevate - or change the dynamic - of certain songs. He also seems a bit trepidatious in places, perhaps unable to find a natural cadence in a song that's not well structured, in my opinion. Maybe it needed more work. But I don't think much more was bound to be achieved regardless.

Thanks for the additional information, Mike.

In regards to Elvis's vocal, yeah it seems sleepy-ish, perhaps due to sedative medication !?

We all know he was depressed during the sessions, so maybe he just couldn't find the vigoror mojo for a more upbeat vocal.

[Pete Dube]

Find Out What's Happenin' is one of the better tracks from these problematic sessions. His singing isn't as good as it could have been, it lacks a bit of energy and brightness, but is solid on the whole. I prefer the master over the outtakes, due to the master's tempo being better. The outtakes are a little slower and tend to plod a bit.

[Tony Trout]

The first time I ever heard this song was, in fact, by Tanya Tucker - who's a huge Elvis fan and was in the audience at one of Elvis's 1975 Vegas engagements. I like her version, actually. It's better than Elvis's (did I actually say that out loud? LOL)

I'm trying to remember......did Tanya ever meet Elvis after the show from where she was in the audience or did Elvis just introduce her? EDIT: Yes, they did meet but - that was the extent of it.

BTW, great post, Mike!!! I enjoyed reading and listening to all of the info! I'm not intelligent enough - or, rather, I don't consider myself intelligent enough - to come up with cool threads such as you and DJC do so often so - I just enjoy what I read.

[brian]

I liked the song better than Just a little bit, If you don't come back and Three corn patches.

[drjohncarpenter]

The one saving grace of Elvis' 1973 recording is that it's uptempo, and of decent quality. He may sound like he's only half-trying, but it's still preferable to most of the other tracks cut at Stax in Memphis back then. Ballads were dominant in this period, and unfortunately many were substandard.

[Tony Trout]

I liked the song better than Just a little bit, If you don't come back and Three corn patches.

I'm actually quite fond of "Just A Little Bit." I love James' guitar work on that song and the groove it has with Tutt's drumming.

[MikeFromHolland]

The first time I ever heard this song was, in fact, by Tanya Tucker - who's a huge Elvis fan and was in the audience at one of Elvis's 1975 Vegas engagements. I like her version, actually. It's better than Elvis's (did I actually say that out loud? LOL)

I'm trying to remember......did Tanya ever meet Elvis after the show from where she was in the audience or did Elvis just introduce her? EDIT: Yes, they did meet but - that was the extent of it.

BTW, great post, Mike!!! I enjoyed reading and listening to all of the info! I'm not intelligent enough - or, rather, I don't consider myself intelligent enough - to come up with cool threads such as you and DJC do so often so - I just enjoy what I read.

Thank you, Tony!

Here is the show you're talking about, March 28, 1975 - dinner show:

image.jpeg

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[jeanno]

Despite the nice musicianship, that song lacks the most important ingredient: Elvis' magic.
The half-trying feeling works on FOR OL'TIMES SAKE and (surprisingly) even on I'VE GOT A THING ABOUT YOU BABY, but on FHWH, it just fails.
It's an uptempo track with no energy, no panache, no fun.

[Scarre]

Sorry Mike...don´t like it.

[MikeFromHolland]

Sorry Mike...don´t like it.

Hey, I'm only the messenger. Tell Elvis

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